The upper bracket of VCT Americas Kickoff 2026 is nearly over. Each of the 12 teams in the tournament has played its games, with only the top two teams left. They will now face off in the Upper Finals of VCT Americas Kickoff in an intense best-of-five series. The two teams that are taking part in the finals are MIBR and Furia Esports, both from South America. In this VCT Americas Kickoff 2026 Upper Finals preview, we take a look at the matches and which team is the favorite to qualify for the VCT Masters Santiago 2026.
The Upper Finals of VCT Americas Kickoff 2026 will take place on February 14. The grand finals will take place between Furia and MIBR in an intense best-of-five series. The winner will secure the first spot for VCT Masters Santiago 2026. The team that loses will drop down to the Middle finals, where they will face off against another team for a chance to qualify for VCT Masters Santiago 2026. Going into this tournament, MIBR was one of the favorites that we had predicted would reach the upper final of the tournament. The duo of Zekken and Aspas is one of the most dynamic in the tournament.
On the other hand, the major surprise has been Furia. Prior to the tournament, Furia had odds of 1:51 to secure a spot at VCT Masters Santiago 2026. Now they are only one win away from making that a reality. During their run at VCT Americas Kickoff, they defeated the likes of KRU Esports, Sentinels, and G2 Esports. Furia defeated Sentinels with a scoreline of 2-0 while shutting down G2 with a score of 2-1. That victory really did shock fans and casters alike.
Image: Riot Games
On the other hand, MIBR had an advantage going into the tournament. Due to qualifying for VALORANT Champions 2025, they received a bye to the second round of the upper bracket. They dominated the reigning VALORANT World Champions, NRG Esports, with a scoreline of 2-1. The duo of Zekken and Verno was exceptional during the series, while Aspas showcased his skill in the third map of the series, securing five first kills.
In our opinion, we feel that the match will go to either map four or five. The reason for this is the comeback mentality of MIBR. In the match against NRG Esports, they lost the first map but completed the reverse sweep with ease. This will be the first team that these players from the new roster of Furia will play a best-of-five series.
With the likes of Aspas and Zekken, we know that they are skilful enough to grab a game on their own. Using their firepower, they can dominate duels and try to help the team clutch out a victory even in a losing situation. One must not disregard Furia, as they have defeated some of the best teams in the tournament in a comfortable fashion.
One player of Furia to keep an eye out for is Gianfranco “koalanoob” Potestio. Currently, the player has an ACS of 243.C, 0.89 kills per round, which is the 3rd highest by any player currently in the tournament. In the match against Sentinels, Koalanoob had 38 kills to his name, the highest by any player during the match. In our opinion, MIBR will win this series 3-1. The win condition for Furia is only possible if they win the first two maps in the Upper Finals.
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